Electric railway



(N0 Modem R. M. HUNTER.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY. No. 587,674. Patented Aug. 3,1897.

$7? EC" CIC' 12? E Qt Y 1) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH M. HUNTER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

ELECTRIC RAILWAY.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 587,674, dated August 3, 1897.

Original application filed July 14, 1885, Serial No. 171,625. Divided and this application filed October 1, 1891. Serial No. 407.386. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH M. HUNTER, of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvement in Electric Railways, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to electric railways and it consists of certain improvements which are fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

This application, Case 209, is a division of my application, Serial No. 171,625, filed July 14, 1885.

The object of my invention is to provide two railways with electrical conductors which may be independent of or be formed in part by the rails in connection with two or more electrically-propelled cars which receive current therefrom, combined with a single source of power, and a supply-conductor leading from the source of power and electrically connecting with similar conductors of the electric railways.

In carrying out my invention one of the railways may be a main railway and the other railway may be either a branch railway or a turnout in connection with the main railway. The negative or return conductors of the railways may be continuous and return directly to the source of electrical power without the intervention of a supply-conductor. The

positive working conductors or those which directly supply the current to the car may be continuous or in sections and may be electrically connected with a supply-conductor at one or more places in its length. The vehicles upon the respective railways receive current from the same source of power and through a common supply-conductor. They are maintained in parallel and have currentcontrolling devices for controlling each car independently of the others. It is immaterial what the particular construction for the return of the current to the generator may be.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view showing an electric railway with working and supply conductors adapted to my invention. Fig. 2 shows a plan view of electric working-conductor circuits in which the second railway branches from the first railway and forms a parallel track or siding. The conductors may be either the rails or in dependent of the rails. Fig. 3 is an elevation of an electrically-propelled vehicle in connection with the circuits shown in the other figures 5 and Fig. 4 represents a crosssection through Fig. 1, showing the rails and working conductors.

A are the rails.

B is the source of electric energy.

(3 is the supply-conductor, connecting with the working conductor D (which may be made in sections) by means of branch conductors R.

O is a return-conductor.

In Fig. l the rails A are not used as part of the electric circuit, and the continuous-working conductor 0 is the return, while the conductor I) is the sectional working conductor and is connected to the main line or supply conductor 0 by branch conductors R, which may be made in the form of resistance to properly distribute the current from the supply-conductor to the several sections of the working conductor. The working conductors O D may be arranged in any suitable manner, while the supply-conductor G maybe supported by poles or inclosed in insulating covering and embedded in the earth. The method of supporting the supply-conductor 80 is immaterial.

Referring to Fig. 2, the second railway constituting the siding is provided with conductors O and D, as in the case of the main line; but, as shown, the conductors G of the two railways are adjacent toeach other, as the cars are running in the opposite direction upon the two tracks. This, however, is not necessary. Both of the conductors in the two railways-the mainrailway and the sidingmay have the same relation so far as my invention is concerned. As shown in Fig. 2, the conductors D D are connected by the circuit c, and the conductorsO C are connected by the connecting-circuit a. By this it is the branch railway or siding and main line are in substantially the same continuous circuit. There is no interruption whatever between the electrical circuits of the similar conductors of the two railways.

The main or line conductor 0, which supplies current to the Working conductor D, is preferably both insulated and incased in lead before being placed underground, the insulation protecting it against breakage, while the lead casin g protects the insulation against injury or moisture and at the same time being of lead it is flexible and easily placed in position and adapted to conform to the road-bed.

Referring to Fig. 3, H is an electrically-propelled car and has an electric motor P mechanically connected to rotate the axle. L L are current-collectors making traveling connections with the working conductors and by means of a motor-circuit on the car supply current to the electric motor. U is a regulator to control the current passing to the motor. In Fig. 4 the conductors and rails of Fig. l are shown, from which will be observed that the supply-conductor O is insulated, while the working conductors D and C are bare. It is quite evident that the return-00nd uctor 0 might be the rails, the earth, or both, as it is immaterial how the current is returned to the source of energy, my inventionhaving particular reference to the means employed for supplying current to the electrically -propelled vehicle.

I do not limit myself to the mere details of construction, as they may be modified in various ways without departing from the principles of my invention.

Having now described my invention, what" I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an electric railway, the combination of a bared working conductor extending along the railway and divided into two or more sections insulated from each other, an insulated supply-conductor buried or arranged below the level of the track and connected at intervals with the sections of working conductor, a return-circuit, and a source of electric energy for supplying current to the insulated.

supply-conductor and return-circuit.

2. In an electric railway, the combination of abared working conductorextending along the railway and divided into two or more sections insulated from each other, an insulated supply-conductor buried or arranged below the level of the track and connected at intervals with the sections of working conductor, a continuous return-circuit, a source of electric energy for supplying current to the insulated supply-conductor and return-circuit, and two or more electrically-propelled cars receiving current from the working and return conductors and having independent means to control their motors.

In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand.

- R. M. HUNTER.

Witnesses:

ERNEST HOWARD HUNTER, O. M. DIETTERICH. 

